Before a builder can peg out a slab, the trees in the way have to be gone. Site clearing is the step that gets you there: deciding which trees stay, taking out the ones that have to go, dealing with stumps and roots, and removing the brush and waste so the plot is ready for the surveyor and the first trench. It is written for homeowners planning a new house or extension, and for builders who want a clean handover.
We are a tree felling team, so this article covers the tree side of clearing. Levelling, excavation and earthworks belong to your builder or an earthmoving contractor, and the job runs best when everyone knows who is doing what.
Start with the plans: which trees to keep and which to remove
Walk the plot with your plans in hand. A tree standing inside the footprint of the house, garage or driveway obviously goes. The harder calls are the trees just outside it.
A tree a few metres from a new wall may look safe on paper, but its roots spread well beyond the canopy, and the foundation trench will cut straight through them. A tree that loses a big share of its roots on one side often declines over the next few seasons or becomes unstable in the wind, by which time the house is finished and the tree is leaning over it. Taking it out now is usually simpler and safer than taking it out later over a new roof.
Questions worth asking about each tree:
- Is it inside the footprint, or close enough that trenches, drains or service lines will cut its roots?
- Will it block scaffolding, delivery trucks or the only access route to the back of the plot?
- Is it an invasive alien such as Port Jackson, rooikrans or a self-seeded gum? These are worth clearing anyway.
- Is it a healthy, well-placed tree that will give shade and character to the finished house?
For the trees you keep, protect them during the build. Ask your builder to fence off the ground under the canopy so materials are not stacked there and vehicles do not compact the soil over the roots. If you are unsure whether a tree will survive the work, an independent arborist can advise before you commit.
Protected trees, verge trees and heritage areas
Most ordinary garden trees on private property can be removed without a permit. There are three exceptions to check before anyone starts cutting.
- Nationally protected trees. Species on the national protected trees list under the National Forests Act, such as milkwood and real yellowwood, need a licence from the national Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) before they are cut, damaged or removed. That applies on a building site exactly as it does in a garden, and old milkwoods turn up on plenty of coastal plots.
- Pavement and verge trees. A tree on the municipal verge belongs to the municipality, not to you, even if it is in the way of your new driveway. Speak to the municipality about it rather than having it cut.
- Heritage areas. If your property is in a heritage area, changes to the site may need heritage approval, so check before work starts.
Build the licence into your timeline. If a protected tree stands in the footprint, the licence must be in hand before clearing can begin, and leaving it until the week the builder arrives can hold up the whole project.
Stumps and roots under foundations
Cutting a tree down is only half the job on a building site. A stump left in the ground slowly rots, and as it rots the soil above it settles. Under a lawn that leaves a dip. Under a slab, a paved driveway or a strip foundation it can leave a void, cracking and uneven settling. Invasive species add a second problem: Port Jackson, wattles and poplars sprout back from stumps and roots and will push up through paving if they are left.
There are two ways to deal with a stump. Grinding cuts the stump and the top of the main roots into chips below ground level. Digging out lifts the whole root plate, and on a building site that is often done by the earthworks team as part of the excavation. Which one makes sense depends on what happens to that patch of ground next.
Our stump grinding and stump removal service handles the stumps we agree on, and we grind to a depth that suits whatever will be built or laid on top.
Taking trees down on a tight building plot
Building plots are rarely empty fields. Most have neighbours on two or three sides, a boundary wall, overhead lines and sometimes an existing house that is being extended. A big tree cannot simply be dropped in one piece.
Our team climbs and rigs, taking large trees down in controlled sections on ropes so each piece is lowered rather than falling. That lets us remove a tree beside a neighbour’s roof or over a boundary wall without damage. You can read more about how we approach tree removal near buildings. We are fully insured, with public liability cover for property damage and COIDA registration for our workers, which your builder may want to know before sharing the site with us.
Clearing the brush and taking the waste away
Vacant plots in Cape Town fill up quickly with Port Jackson, rooikrans and self-seeded gums, and a plot that has stood empty for a few years can be thick with them. Clearing them properly matters for more than looks. Dense, dry thicket is a real fire risk in summer, and invasive aliens regrow fast from stumps and seed if they are only cut back.
Once the trees are down, the brush, branches and timber have to go somewhere. Our quotes include clearing the site and taking the waste away, so you are not left with a heap of brush and a second contractor to find. If there is other garden refuse lying around the plot, our garden refuse and material removal service takes it in the same job. Building rubble and soil are for your builder’s skip or the earthworks contractor.
Avoid burning cleared vegetation on site. Open burning is generally not allowed in urban areas and is dangerous in fire season, especially once the south-easter is blowing.
Timing your site clearing before the builder arrives
The best time to clear is after the plans are settled and before the builder needs to set out. Clear too late and the builder is waiting on you. Clear too early and the plot regrows or erodes.
- Settle the plans first. You cannot decide which trees to keep until the footprint and access route are fixed.
- Start any licence early. If a protected tree is involved, begin the DFFE process as soon as you know.
- Clear before setting out. The surveyor and builder need to see the real ground, including rocks, old foundations and levels hidden under the vegetation.
- Think about the season. Winter rain turns some plots to mud, and bare soil on a slope washes away if it sits stripped for months. If the build is a long way off, take out the trees and leave low ground cover in place until it is needed.
- Talk to your builder. Agree who removes what, where vehicles will come in and which trees are fenced off.
We clear trees from building plots across Cape Town, the Helderberg and the winelands, whether that is tree felling in Durbanville on a new northern suburbs erf or clearing ahead of an extension with our Stellenbosch tree felling team.
Planning a build? WhatsApp a photo of the plot and your site plan to 071 799 1993, or ask for a free site visit and written quote through our contact page.